Who's really King?
by louann97
Summary: Klaus wants to be King, and Marcel has it all... But he will get it back. His key to success is the object of Marcel's affections, she's blonde, beautiful and intelligent...but also suspicious. Can Klaus convince Caroline of his intentions, or will he end up in the same positions as Marcel, falling for a girl who just doesn't seem interested?
1. Chapter 1

Hello! So this is my newest Klaroline story; after watching The Originals pilot I really wanted to write some Klaroline with the addition of Marcel!

Just a quick bit of background... in this there is no Haley/Baby drama and Klaus and Caroline have never met before.

I hope you enjoy reading this first short preview, and if you do (or don't!) it would be great if you could leave some kind of review at the end...**  
**Thanks!

**Klaus's POV**

I hated it; I hated it beyond belief as my eyes took in the sight around me. The masses gathered to hug Marcel, congratulate him, and offer a joke or two; all because he did some mediocre karaoke and some awful dancing.

I saw that he was liked, I saw that he had loyalty, respect, friendship; everything that I had tried so hard to get…

… I hated it, I hated him…

After meeting under similar circumstances earlier, I'd made it clear to him that I wasn't happy with his control, but now I'd come to my senses; I couldn't take down Marcel if he knew I was against him, I had to pretend I was prepared to be just like any other willing minion in this town.

But I was going to remind him that this place, here in New Orleans, was mine. No matter how long I'd been gone, it was still mine; and here I am to take it back and to put him in his place. I created him, I gave him eternal life; and both he and I knew that I could take it away from him whenever I felt like it.

I made a path towards him; it was time for us to kiss and makeup, for me to pledge some kind of allegiance to him and act like I was going to be his bitch. Obviously, that was never going to happen though. As I came closer to him, a woman cut into my path and reached him first. She laid a soft hand on his arm and whispered something into his ear; a small smile spread across Marcel's face, and his eyes lit up. Hmmm… interesting, he clearly felt something towards this woman.

She pulled away from him and I caught a glance of her face; I had to admit, I was utterly shocked, I had never in my 1000 years seen a woman like her; she wasn't perfect, but she had an air of classic, classy beauty. Her curls were arranged around her face beautifully, her blue eyes shone and her lips where just… perfect? I straightened myself up and pushed the thoughts from my head; I knew already that this woman was the key to Marcel's downfall.

I strode towards Marcel wearing my expression of peace.

"Klaus…you chose to come back?" He inquired with a questioning smirk on his face.

"I know, I thought about what I'd said mate, and after everything that you and I have been through it didn't seem worth it, I understand now; you are the King of this place. I was gone too long and there is nothing I can do about it now; I hope that I at least have your trust, and that you would allow me to stay here?" I asked quietly, not quite believing how I had to humble myself to him, to my very own creation…

"Niklaus, you didn't even have to ask; I owe you everything, of course you can stay here and I can't wait for us to rekindle our friendship!" Marcel exclaimed loudly, a huge smile breaking across his face as he pulled me into a firm hug. I nodded and felt a smile form on my features too, it seemed everything was going to be much, _much _easier than I had imagined.

"Whilst you're here, let me introduce you to Caroline Forbes. She's the best friend and side-kick a man could ever have; I'd be practically lost without her. A bit like you and Rebecca… well, except she's not my sister…" Marcel explained, his cheeks colouring as he almost described the woman of his affections as his sister.

"Caroline… it's a pleasure to meet you." I said politely, as I stepped forward and shook her hand. She smiled gently at me but offered no words… was she suspicious?

"And as for me and Rebecca, any allegiance we may have once had for one another is long gone; she's hell bent on becoming human, and taking that into consideration she is definitely not worth my time!" I exclaimed, laughing loudly; knowing that at least this was something Marcel and I could agree on, we both new that becoming a vampire was the best thing that had ever happened to us.

"Well, I've got to do the rounds and say my hello's to the people; but why don't you and Caroline go and get yourselves a drink, get to know one another, and I'll be over to celebrate our reunion later…" Marcel continued, as he waved at some others from across the room; obviously eager to leave us and lap up some more attention elsewhere.

"Sure." I replied, nodding amiably.

"Shall we?" I asked Caroline, holding my arm out to her. She accepted it cautiously and we made our way towards the bar.

It looked like I had easily convinced Marcel, but it seemed that Caroline could turn out to be a bit of a problem…


	2. Getting to know Klaus

**Klaus's POV**

I admired Caroline's figure as she leant up against the bar and ordered the drinks; her dress was just the right cut, it was elusive, it wasn't revealing but somehow it left me with thoughts that shouldn't be in my mind.

I shook my head in attempts to knock the thoughts from my head, I'd read so many books and I'd learnt that it was romantic fantasies and lust that prevented a man from his dreams. Take Romeo for example, died young just because he fell for someone who was from the wrong family. I knew that I couldn't make the same mistake as him; I couldn't become enraptured by someone from Marcel's so called family.

The bar was so packed I managed to find two seats on the opposite side from where Caroline was presently ordering; I saw her pick up the drinks from the bar and begin to stride towards me. Funnily enough, I noticed that she didn't have to pay. It seemed there were many benefits to being so close to Marcel; free drinks... I rolled my eyes at the 'cuteness' of it, any pledging allegiance to Marcel were supposedly living a life of luxury here, but I bet underneath the so-called perfect packaging a very poisoned center lay beneath. Marcel was naturally bad; when I met him I knew he was attracted to darkness, and unfortunately I enhanced that quality within him. Something that I was now finding myself regretting. Killing the witch in the middle of the street was something that showed me I'd definitely pushed him too hard; I held witches in very high esteem, they were useful, clever and intelligent; yet here they were, forced to comply by strict and tight rules, something which seems unfair to those who are often such valuable assets.

I was pulled from my thought process as Caroline loudly placed the drinks down on the bar and hopped up on the stool beside me.

"Okay, what's the story Niklaus?" She asked me sassily, one eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"What do you mean love?" I inquired, attempting to play dumb.

"That doesn't work with me. I know there's more to you than meets the eye; and I may not know what you did to Marcel, and if you don't tell me, I'll be left to guess. And naturally I will jump to the worst conclusion I can find." She said coldly, obviously believing that I'd damaged Marcel in some way.

"You mean despite the fact that you're Marcel's informant, side-kick and best friend, he's never told you anything about me?" I asked, a smirk beginning to grow on my face; it seemed Marcel really was still afraid of me, deep down he knew who the real Alpha was. He could put on some kind of front and pretend that he owned this place, but ultimately he knew I was the rightful King.

"No, I haven't heard a single thing about you, and that's what scares me…" Caroline said quietly, it became apparent to me that she really did care for him as a friend; I felt the jealously kick in once more, ever since my fallout with Rebecca I no longer had someone who looked out for me just because they liked me. I had Stefan, who had my back every now and then, but only when it suited his purpose.

"Well sweetheart; you'd better get yourself comfortable and I'll tell you everything about me…" I said mysteriously. I established that the best way to get this woman to trust me was to tell her the truth; well my version of the truth anyway. I saw Caroline's eyes light up and she sat up a little straighter. Bloody hell, I really did admire this woman; she had spark and drive, and she knew what she wanted. I could tell just from looking at her that once she'd set her mind to something there was nothing stopping her.

"So, first I guess we'd better clear up the matter of what it is that I actually am. I am the Original Hybrid; I'm sure you've heard that name thrown about every now and then, therefore you know the extents of my power." I said simply, and watched as her facial features changed, her eyes widened slightly and she leant forward a little more. I was pretty sure that was an expression of amazement, it seemed that with only one sentence I had impressed her.

She leant forward a little more, and fisted her hands tightly. Her face began to turn a slight shade of red. It seems that I had been mistaken; because right now, she was looking furious.

"You're the asshole that turned my ex-boyfriend into a Hybrid!" She shouted, practically spitting the words at me.

My mind took in the information, thinking of the many Hybrids that I had created, all of which, with the exception of one, were now dead.

"Oh really? Well, I think you should know that I killed them all, well one is left alive…" I said slowly, knowing that if I was in her bad books before, killing her ex-boyfriend put me _way_ out of her favor.

"You only left _one _alive! Whoa, you really are the monster they say you are!" She exclaimed; apparently fearless to the fact that I could rip her heart out at any moment. I felt anger rise within me as this woman who barely even knew me began to judge me. I leant across the table slowly, mustering as much menace into my gaze as possible; someone had to put this woman back in her place.

"If you don't have anything nice to say sweetheart, then I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself. You see, Marcel has a nasty temper, and he got that from me; and mine is much… _much _worse…" I said slowly and quietly, knowing from experience that this was the best way to evoke a response of fear.

"You just got here; you may be powerful, and maybe you could rip my heart out or poison me with one of your bites. But I don't let fear rule me, no one tells me what I can say or do, not even you Mr. Original Hybrid." Caroline calmly replied back. I could feel my admiration of her rising, no one before had managed to stand up to me like that, I felt a small laugh escape me.

"Well then love, it seems that our tempers are evenly matched; why don't you tell me who your ex-boyfriend was, and then maybe we can establish whether he's dead or not. There is obviously a one in twelve chance as to whether he's alive…" I replied compromisingly.

"Tyler. His name was Tyler Lockwood."

"Tyler eh? Yes that particular nuisance manages to evade me every time I come close to tracking him down…" I muttered slowly, debating how I still hadn't gotten my revenge on him from the little un-siring incident.

"Well if you know Tyler, then I guess you know that boyfriend stealing whore too." Caroline said sharply, her eyes searching my expression.

"Yes love, I remember the girl; she too was responsible for the un-siring of my Hybrids, I'd kill her if I got the chance…" I said with a smile on my face, hoping to get a response from Caroline.

"You'd kill her if you got the chance?! Hell, I'd kill her a 100 times over if I got the chance! Tyler cheated on me with that bitch, and then she went and rubbed it in my face!" Caroline exclaimed, color rushing into her cheeks once again. Hmmm, it seemed that I had struck a nerve…

"Well then, I guess if we see her again we can take her down together." I said with a smile, glad that we had established some common ground. This would work well into my plan.

"Yes, yes; enough about our mutual bitch problem. Tell me more about you and Marcel." She said with a devilish smile.

"Well sweetheart, a few hundred years ago I moved here; I knew some vampires who lived in the area who were just scraping by, getting just enough blood to live because things were too conspicuous. I knew that it was my time to make a move and make a difference. I decided to build up this place, make it into something special, and to do so I needed some new vampires. Marcel was the first, my protégée; it was my mission but it was our adventure. Together we re-built New Orleans; him being a new vampire I taught him everything I knew and everything I believed in, I created him in my image, and now he has bettered me. My father Mikael ran my family out of this town; I was forced to leave this place which was the best place I'd called home for many years. And now, now that it's all over and I've come back, I've discovered that Marcel has everything that I have ever wanted, and now I just have to fall into line. Be one of the many minions…" I said, drawing a deep breath and thinking how I'd told this woman more in a matter of minutes than I'd confided in any one my entire life. I looked over at her to watch her reaction; I saw that her complexion had paled, and something had replaced the neutral expression on her face: Sympathy. I couldn't think of a time that someone had ever been sympathetic towards me, and I wasn't even sure if I _wanted _anyone's sympathy.

"Whoa, that really is a story…" Caroline responded, whilst letting out a long breath.

"So you and Marcel were partners, but you were the one who actually founded this place?" She inquired, despite the fact I had told her it were true.

"Yes."

"So… why did your father run you and the rest of your family out of this place?" She asked inquisitively, one eyebrow raised in curiosity.

I snapped back to reality quickly as she dug deeper into my history, one that was very sensitive. I didn't want her to know too much about me, my only intention here was to get to Marcel; and I didn't need anyone knowing the ins and outs of my personal business.

"Well, this chat's been great sweetheart, but I think we'll save that story for another time…" I said casually before draining the rest of my drink and getting off my stool ready to leave.

"Where are you going mate? We haven't even had a chance to catch up!" I heard the loud exclamation of Marcel from behind me.

I turned to face him and saw the usual cocky smirk plastered across his face; that annoyed me, that was _my_ expression…

"I know, but it's been such an interesting evening and Caroline here has been great company, but I thought you two might want to have a chance to catch up." I responded, knowing that if I persuaded Marcel that I was leaving so that he could have some alone time with Caroline then I'd be in his good books.

"Oh alright then; well you and I will have to meet up tomorrow; maybe get a bite to eat if you know what I mean, there's a lot to choose from around here…" He said laughing at his own awful joke. I slapped him on the back, bid my goodbyes to Caroline and turned to leave.

I strode from the bar and felt all eyes upon me; it seemed some people had over-heard my little chat with Caroline, they knew that I, Niklaus Mikaelson was the Original Hybrid, they knew they couldn't kill me, and they knew I was the true founder of this place.

Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to over-throw the king after all?...

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! **

**If you have the time it would be great if you could leave a review, it makes my day! :D**

**See you at the next chapter… **


	3. Sophie Deveraux

**Klaus's POV**

I strode down the street towards the apartment that I had managed to rent at such late notice; it was just outside the heart of this vampire-run town.

I admired everything that went on around me, vampires lined the streets, playing music, dancing and indulging in as much human blood as they desired. Marcel had helped my kingdom to thrive, yet somehow it made me wonder how long this could last. How long could they go on draining humans in the middle of the street, getting them to comply and having their human servants clean-up for them? Vampires may have run this town for centuries, but humans were getting smarter, I'd learnt this from my time in Mystic falls; surely the humans in New Orleans will fight back soon? Surely they'd make a stand, the witches too?

Word about me had definitely travelled fast, just like in the bar I was gathering stares; I wasn't sure if they were admiration, hate or fear. In some cases it made me wonder that if I weren't immortal I may actually fear for my life; how many of these peoples friends had I killed or had an impact on? I wasn't going soft, I, Niklaus Mikaelson could never do that, but being here in this town brought out something within me, something that scared me. For once I wanted to make a stand, regain my place as king and change things; life here may be amazing for vampires but eventually the human resources would run out, and I knew that I needed to be the one to do something about that...

I reached the edge of the town, I found myself having to stroll through a graveyard, despite the fact I was a supernatural creature, the thought of the dead left me with eerie thoughts. It reminded me of the time not so long ago when the veil to the other side was dropped and ghosts were free to roam, many of those being enemies of mine.

"Niklaus, Niklaus Mikaelson?" I heard a woman's voice echo from somewhere around me, she asked a question, but I knew that she was already aware of who I was.

"Who's asking?" I responded slowly, my voice and stance becoming guarded; ready to protect myself from any issues that may arise.

"I'm Sophie Deveraux, Jane Anne's sister, and I need your help..." She replied quietly, obviously anxious to what my response would be.

"Well Sophie Deveraux, why don't you tell me what it is you need my help with and then maybe we can come to some understanding." I said diplomatically, the chances were that this woman could help me anyway.

She stepped from the behind the shadow of a tree and paced towards me, she was an inch or so shorter than me with long dark haired swept up into a pony-tail. I stared intently at her face and saw that her eyes were a raw-red color, I could tell that she'd been crying; obviously from the death of her sister which the whole town had witnessed earlier.

"I want to take-down Marcel, kill him, ruin him, steal his position as king; I don't care which, I just want to make him as miserable as he has made me. He killed Jane-Anne as a message, just to show people he had power, she hadn't even done anything wrong. Jane was my only family left and now she's gone. I need my revenge on Marcel..." She spat out, the anger evident and the tears in her eyes threatening to spill once more.

"I understand that Sophie, but what makes you think I have any desire to ruin Marcel? He and I were friends once-upon a time, he was my protégée, I created him; why would I go and waste all my hard work?" I asked cryptically, trying to keep my voice even.

"Oh don't make me laugh! You hate the man, it's written all over your face; he has everything you have ever wanted, he owns this whole damn place and you want it back! Don't even bother to try and deny it, I'm a witch; I'm good at detecting this kind of stuff..." Sophie replied with a smile.

"Well love, it seems you really have read me like a book; Yes, Marcel does need dealing with. His treatment of the witches like you around here really is appalling, someone needs to teach him some manners, and those people are going to be us." I said with a smirk, already taking a liking to this particular witch; she'd make a good ally too, you never know when you might need a powerful witch on your side.

"Great, here's my number; we can arrange to meet again, and I've seen that brother of yours around... Elijah isn't it? I understand that your problems are his also, so I'm guessing he will be onboard with this?" Sophie asked perceptively.

"Yes love, Elijah is to be trusted; he will aid us in anything that we require. I'll give you a ring soon and we can arrange our next move. I think this is going to be a very valuable partnership."

"As do I..." Sophie replied simply, before nodding in my direction and taking her leave. It seemed that despite the fact I'd only been in this town a day, I'd already discovered people on my side. Marcel's perfect little town, and perfect followers weren't so perfect after-all. I felt a smile beginning to form and I let out a small laugh. I really was king...

I finished the short walk to my apartment, pulled open the slightly rusting gate and strode up the staircase; I reached my door to find it already open. Suspicion rose within me and I felt myself become more alert; I'd only just gotten here and already people seemed to think they could just break into my place.

A thought rose within me, maybe it was the Salvatore's? Maybe they'd finally found some other mystical way to kill me; maybe it was their witch Bonnie? It seemed that no matter where I went I could never shake the feeling of being followed, of being hunted and traced. It really was not a pleasant sensation.

I walked into to the small hallway of the apartment and heard some rustling from the kitchen; slowly I paced down the corridor, turned through door and came face-to-face with the intruder.

"Oh Hi Klaus, sorry to interrupt like this..." She trailed off.

"Caroline? What the hell are you doing here sweetheart?" I asked curiously, beginning to wonder if she'd come here to gather information on me or something.

"Well Marcel told me where you were staying, and he said I had to come and make you feel welcome. Apparently he informs me you aren't quite so good at making friends!" She exclaimed with a light-hearted laugh. I felt embarrassment rise within me; she thought I, the Original Hybrid was unable to make friends. I have none by choice, not because I am unable to make them!

"Oh, well then why are you going through my cupboards love?" I continued, trying to keep the suspicion from my tone.

"Well I was meant to check that you had settled in, but I came in and noticed you weren't here, and no offence but the place was a right dump, so I decided to sort things out for you. I can't help myself; I just... have this thing about fixing things I guess..." Caroline said with an embarrassed laugh.

"Ah, well then love; you're welcome to sort out my apartment any time you desire!" I said good naturedly. Caroline got up from her current position of sitting on my kitchen floor and straightened herself out.

"Do you want a drink love, I'm afraid the only thing I can offer you is some Bourbon, I haven't exactly had the time to go shopping yet!"

"Hmmm…No sorry Klaus, sadly I'm going to have to turn down that offer. I've actually got some place to be." She said cryptically.

"Ah well, another time then?" I asked with a smile, before walking her towards the door.

"Yes, another time would be great!" She said hastily before turning and leaving.

I closed the door and furrowed my brows as I remembered her expression as she left; it was one of relief. There was no way she'd only come here to welcome me and ended up sorting my things out, that woman had an agenda, and I was going to find out exactly what that was…

**Hello!**

**I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone that reviewed, it was lovely to hear from you!**

**I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter, and it would be great if you could leave some reviews and let me know what you thought…**

**Thanks!**

**:D**


	4. A common enemy

**Klaus's POV **

I slumped back into the chair in the apartment, it was pretty old, but comfortable. Elijah had seen to it that I had a pretty substantial place here; obviously nothing compared to the mansion I had back in Mystic Falls. Nevertheless, I had decided to no longer speak of Mystic Falls, not after everything that went down there.

Despite the fact I told myself I didn't need any friends, there was always one question hanging around to haunt me... where did Stefan go? We'd been friends back in the 20's, we'd been the best of friends, and he had been the toughest, most brutal vampire around... the ripper... Not even I could match his level. I had to compel him to forget our friendship; but then we met again and he was pretending to be a vampire completely in control; the perfect vegetarian vampire. I could see right through his facade, and even though he was no longer the vampire he once was, we still had a friendship and understanding on some level. Then, before I knew it, he'd just left again. His brother Damon, and all of the other annoying creatures in Mystic Falls denied having any idea where he was, insisted he was missing; but I knew they were lying. They hated the idea that Stefan would want to have anything to do with a creature like me; especially not his saintly girlfriend Elena; the girl who everyone knew wanted to have her way with Damon as well.

I brushed off the thoughts; Stefan was obviously not a person worthy of my friendship. I was above all the creatures on this stupid planet, I was the Original Hybrid, and I didn't define myself by the friendships I had or may have lost. I had power, so_ so _much power, and that was all that mattered.

**Caroline's POV**

I felt sick; sick right to my stomach. Once again Marcel had me running ridiculous errands for him. Countless and countless things that were so pointless and that he could just do himself. I didn't want to do anything more for him, but I had to, or I knew he'd hurt one of the people so close to me.

To be honest, at least Niklaus wasn't innocent; unlike the many others which Marcel had force me to manipulate, to follow; and sometimes even to kill. I'd spent the last two years of my life pretending to everyone how Marcel and I were the best of friends, how we looked out for one another, were like family. Sometimes I swear he even looked at me in a romantic way; almost as if he'd forgotten that he'd blackmailed my loyalty and wormed his way into my life. The man was pure poison, pure evil; there was nothing I could do about it, not until I discovered where Marcel was keeping him.

I'd planted the listening device in Klaus's apartment just as Marcel had asked me too; but I'd hung around a little longer, deliberately making sure that Niklaus would find me. I understood how powerful he was, and I knew that he could just be the one who could topple Marcel. Well, I got that vibe from him anyway; I couldn't mention anything to Klaus just in case his loyalties really were true, incase Niklaus really did mean what he said to Marcel about wanting to stay here.

My resolution was that I would just have to follow him, see what his true intentions were and then make a decision on how to continue.

**Klaus's POV**

I awoke the next morning and my curiosities got the better of me; I needed to know what Caroline had been up to. I decided to search the apartment from top to bottom and look for any signs that something had been tampered with.

After searching the majority of the apartment I found myself left with the kitchen, I reached into the cupboard and felt around; past all of the junk that had been left by the previous tenant. My hand stumbled across something at the back, my fist tightened around it and I gave it a hard pull.

My hand came flying out and I unclasped my hand to find a small kind of listening bug sitting in my palm. So that was Marcel's play, to plant some ridiculous listening device in my apartment to see what I was up to. Bloody hell, we were vampires; could he not think of anything more inventive? And I'd thought that friend of his Caroline to be a smart individual, yet I'd caught her in here planting it?

I decided that I needed to start making plans to takedown Marcel, he'd been the first to make a move, he'd practically declared war; and now it was my turn to return the favor. I grabbed my phone from the side, before grabbing my keys. I'd ring Sophie, get a well-needed drink and then hopefully meet her.

I exited the apartment and paced down the street. I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed her number.

"Sophie speaking." Her voice rang clear on the other end.

"It's me." I replied simply, knowing full well that she'd know who it was.

"When and where?" Was all she replied, remaining cautious; I liked her, she understood the idea of keeping this secretive.

"Same place as last time, half an hour." I hung up, and looked around for a drink. I saw a drunken man sitting on the sidewalk; didn't he know it was stupid to venture the streets around here. Daytime or not, a number of people seemed to go missing around here.

Oh well, my gain.

I grabbed the man around the neck tightly and pushed him hard into the wall, I felt my fangs extend as the hunger took over; I could almost feel the man's warm blood flowing down my throat.

"Are you seriously going to do that right here, in broad daylight?!" I heard a woman exclaim behind me, I recognized the voice: Caroline Forbes.

I looked into the man's eyes, before saying slowly: "Forget about this, walk away." The man nodded as my compulsion took hold, I released him and he began walking haphazardly away.

"Well love, it seems you've done your good deed of the day, saving that man's life." I replied turning slowly towards her, unable to resist the sarcasm that seeped into my tone. I was starving and thanks to Caroline I'd now have to spend time searching for another person.

"There's no need to be like that Klaus, I get it, you're a vampire; of course you have to feed. I know you think you're Mr. powerful and everything, but that doesn't mean you can just grab a snack in front of the whole of the town and think you can compel everyone to forget. That's called abuse of power Niklaus, and you can't spend eternity doing that." Caroline said indignantly.

"Well sweetheart, I have for the past 1000 years and managed to survive, and nothing you say is going to change that." I continued, a smirk rising on my face. No one ever really stands up to me, and I had a lot of respect for her; despite the fact I was pretty sure she was going to make me late to my meeting with Sophie.

"Alright, alright calm down. Do as you like, just remember this is Marcel's town now and you have to respect his rules if you wish to stay here. So don't drain innocents in broad daylight for god sake!" She snapped, before throwing her silky blonde hair over her shoulders and turning away indignantly.

I shook my head with laughter, before turning away too.

**Caroline's POV**

I waited until he was a good distance away from me, and then decided to follow him. Keeping a reasonable distance between us; in this case vampire hearing really was a pain in the ass. He turned a corner and strode into the cemetery, I crept slowly behind him and stared intently, I saw him shake hands with a witch… Sophie Deveraux, sister of the recently deceased Jane-Anne Deveraux.

I sat down slowly on the ground, whilst listening intently to their conversation. Niklaus and Sophie were planning to solve the Marcel problem.

"Yes!" I muttered out loud, as my enthusiasm got the best of me.

"Well, well love; you do know it's rude to spy don't you…" Klaus muttered venomously as he knelt down beside me, cupping my face in his hands and tilting it so our eyes were level.

"Klaus… wait, you don't understand…" I began to say as his grip began to tighten around my face.

"I don't understand what love, the fact that you're Marcels bitch; following me around and doing his bidding. How stupid do you believe me to be; I knew you had an ulterior motive when I caught you in my apartment the other day. What do you have to say for yourself sweetheart, speak carefully though, they could very well be your last words…" He muttered out cruelly, his grip tightening once again.

"I had to! Marcel, he has my friend, he has my friend! He said that if I didn't do as he wished he'd kill him and that his blood would be on my hands!" I forced out.

"You're very beautiful sweetheart, and under different circumstance I think we could have been friends. I'm sorry about your friend, but it doesn't seem to have anything to do with me; unfortunately from my point of view you screwed me over without any good reason." His voice furious.

"But he'll kill him, he'll kill Stefan!" I screamed at him. Niklaus released his grip on me suddenly and stepped away, his eyes wide in shock; and he looked incredibly young all of a sudden.

"What did you just say?" He muttered seriously.

"I said that Marcel is blackmailing me, he is holding my friend Stefan prisoner and will kill him unless I do everything that he says!" I exclaimed exasperated, and confused as to why he gave a damn.

"Do you mean… Stefan Salvatore?" He stuttered out, his face continuing to pale even more.

"You know him?!" I replied shocked.

"Yes, I know Stefan; we used to be friends a while back…" He muttered, clearly distracted.

"How do you know Stefan?" I continued, pulling myself to my feet, but making no move towards him.

"Are we going to stand here chatting all day, or are we going to find Stefan?!" Klaus replied suddenly, the smirk and swagger returning to his attitude.

It seemed that I had gotten my wish; somehow I now had Niklaus Mikaelson on my side… the most powerful being on the planet – now, losing really was not an option...

**Hello!**

**Apologies for such a late update, school and exams just seem to be getting in the way all the time!**

**Also, sorry about this shockingly awful/ predictable plot twist; I've been running low on inspiration just lately…**

**It would be nice if you could review, it may give me inspiration to finish the next chapter faster… (No promises though!)**

**Thanks for those of you still reading this!**

**See you at the next chapter!**


	5. Plans

**Caroline's POV**

I got into my car and was just leaving the town limits; Niklaus and I had decided that it wasn't safe for us to just meet up in the town where practically everyone was loyal to Marcel and there was no such thing as privacy.

No, we couldn't discuss Marcel's demise right in the middle of his lair; that would just be stupid.

I drove on a little further, knowing that the diner Klaus had spoken about should be around here somewhere; this little place was out in the middle of nowhere, no vampires would be found walking round here, there wasn't enough 'food sources' as some vampire's liked to refer to humans as. Seeing as I hadn't even been a vampire for a decade yet, the idea of referring to people who used to be, and still are my friends, as food, was just so wrong...

I caught site of the diner; it was a pretty rough looking place. Bikers hung around the front, their arms the size of my thighs if not bigger, with tattoos decorating every inch of their body in sight; if I weren't a vampire I think I'd have been scared. I pulled up in a space, just as Klaus parked beside me; I still wasn't sure about this man, he went from one extreme to another, from charming, to dangerous, to caring; but there was still something drawing me to him, I could explain it and it was seriously freaking me out.

"So Niklaus, let's get down to business." I stated matter-of-factly as I got out of the car.

"Easy love, let's get inside and order a drink first at least!" He explained with a smirk on his face; for someone so anxious to find their best-friend he seemed pretty calm.

"Fine." I grumbled, reluctant to do anything other than find Stefan.

As we strode past the bikers Klaus switched sides with me, blocking me from their view as he put a possessive arm around me. I felt a funny feeling in my chest as his fingertips made contact with my back, it felt like there was nothing between his fingers and my skin as I felt a small shiver run up my spine; hoping like hell he didn't notice me flinch. That would definitely not do any favors for his ego...

We settled down in a booth and ordered a drink; we waited for it to arrive; not wanting our discussions to be compromised. Once the waitress left we both visibly sat forward, anxious to begin planning.

"So what are we going to do?" I inquired; my mind racing with millions of possibilities of breaking out Stefan that had never seemed quite possible until now.

"I say we don't go full confrontational, we trick Marcel into giving us exactly what we want." Klaus said with a small smirk on his face and a knowing look in his eye.

"Hmmm…Okay and how would we do that exactly?" I continued.

"We use what he obviously wants the most…" Niklaus replied. I however did not understand how we were meant to know what he wanted the most; a puzzled expression passed over my features.

"You of course love!" Klaus exclaimed as if it were the most obvious thing on the planet. My mouth formed into a very obvious 'O' shape as I took in this information.

"You think Marcel wants me?" I stuttered out, completely shocked.

"Of course sweetheart, how have you not noticed all the glances and accidental touches and things like that?!" he responded shaking his head.

"Well…umm… I kinda thought…" I trailed off, too embarrassed to voice my opinion.

"Thought what love?" Klaus prompted me.

"That Marcel was gay!" I rushed out quickly, feeling my cheeks redden as I realized how foolish I'd been.

"Marcel, gay?!" Klaus's whole body began to shake with uncontrollable laughter.

"Oh sweetheart, if only you'd seen the womanizer he'd been back in the day; then you'd know for sure that he was 100% straight." He continued, laughter making him breathless.

"But what about the scarves and the dancing and the karaoke nights!" I exclaimed.

"Nope, that's just Marcel's extremely attention seeking personality…" Niklaus explained with an amused expression on his face.

"Okay, okay; I think we've had enough laugh at Caroline for tonight, how exactly do you plan on using me to get Stefan?" I asked, still unsure how I fit into this whole equation.

"Well sweetheart it's actually quite simple. Marcel likes to make bargains for what he wants. Basically all we need to do is pretend to be a couple and Marcel will come running straight to me to bargain for our break-up… Marcel cares about petty things like that; and he definitely won't want me all over the object of his affections." He said with a smirk on his face. It dawned on me that to sway Marcel we'd have to be a pretty convincing couple and that would mean me having to be intimate, or at least pretend to be with this man I barely knew. And of course, him being the most powerful being on the planet… added no pressure… haha…

"That makes sense, but you can't just ask Marcel for Stefan, he'd know that we were tricking him." I said rationally.

"No I'll tell him I will end things with you on the condition that he finds my friend Stefan for me; to him it will be nothing more than a useful convenience that the Stefan I'm after he just so happens to have under lock and key…"

I nodded agreeing with his logic.

"Okay then, that sounds like a pretty good plan to me." I replied, unable to deny the fact that in the space of about 2 minutes he'd thought up a plan that seemed pretty bullet proof.

"Okay then, are you going to move in with me; or shall I move in with you?" Klaus asked suddenly. I felt my jaw drop and my mouth, yet again, create a sudden 'O' shape.

"What?!" I exclaimed confused by what he was saying.

"Well love, we need Marcel to think we are serious; vampires are compulsive creatures' after-all, so I'll ask you again: Am I moving in with you, or are you moving in with me?" Klaus repeated in a very serious tone.

"Ummm…but…ah…We can't live together, I've only just met you!" I continued trying to find as many excuses as possible not to move in with this undeniably gorgeous vampire, I couldn't let his looks distract me…He was dangerous.

"Do you want to rescue Stefan or not sweetheart; because right now you seem more worried about yourself than him." Klaus replied coldly. That was when I realized how selfish I was being; this was my one opportunity to get back my best friend and here I was being all awkward about it.

"Okay, I'll move in with you…" I replied exhaling loudly. It made sense that I moved in with him, he'd only just rented the place and it meant we were free to do what we wanted with it; after-all I didn't want him sticking his nose in all my things at my apartment. Anyway, he'd already searched and removed any bugs he found in his apartment, whereas I hadn't as that would have drawn Marcel's suspicions.

"Great; I look forward to it love, start bringing your things over tomorrow. I will be out updating my new witch friend Sophie on our plans; take this key and make yourself at home." Klaus said with a wide smirk on his face as he pulled his spare key from his key chain and pushed it across the table to me.

"Right, are we done here then? Because I guess I'd better be getting back and sorting out my stuff." I replied simply, deciding that it was best I leave now; I'd have plenty of time to get to know the guy at a later date considering come tomorrow we'd be room-mates. I rose from my chair and Klaus followed my example.

"Want me to walk you to your car sweetheart?" Klaus inquired, I appreciated the sentiment, but I really could look after myself.

"No thanks; I'm pretty sure I can make it the whole 15 meters to my car without getting into trouble." I replied sarcastically, before flashing him a smile, tossing my hair over my shoulder and exiting the diner.

It seemed I'd better go and enjoy the last night I had left alone; because come tomorrow I'd be flat sharing with quite possibly the most annoying guy on the planet…

**Hey!  
So first I just wanted to say massive apologies for such a late update! I've had exams non-stop the past couple of months, and I underestimated how hard it would be trying to keep up with writing four stories at once!  
I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter, and I just wanted to say a big thanks to everyone who has reviewed the previous chapters.  
Please continue, to read, review and follow!  
Thanks :D**


	6. Drunk Marcel

**Caroline's POV**

I sighed and stared around as I let myself into my apartment; I can't believe I'd actually have to leave, the feeling made me feel quite sick. I was a pretty independent person, I enjoyed living by myself - Of course I realized there would come a time when I would meet a guy and want to take the next step; but being a vampire I figured that I had plenty of time to myself before that would ever happen.

Now that I practically had no other choice than to move in with Klaus I felt so flustered and rushed. I barely knew the man which worried me because we would be _living _together; it was such a crazy move. The only thing that scared me more than that was the tug of attraction I felt between the two of us. The air around us felt electric when we were near one another; I suddenly felt impulsive, almost like I could do whatever I wished. I guess that was what hanging out with the most powerful being on the planet did to you. The one thing that puzzled me however was the fact that Stefan had never _ever_ mentioned his relationship with him - one would have thought that he and I being best friends, and the fact that Stefan and Klaus were apparently pretty close friends would have meant that I would have met, or at least heard of Klaus before now. The only reason I could think of was the fact that Stefan was embarrassed by his connection to Klaus; I mean after-all the Original Hybrid didn't haven't the best reputation in the world.

I stopped suddenly as I detected someone else's presence in my apartment. I rapidly felt my features switch into vampire mode, and my instincts took over. I paced fearlessly into my kitchen and saw Marcel sitting at my kitchen table; a bottle of beer clasped in his hands and a confusing expression on his face.

"Marcel, what are you doing here?" I asked confused as I stared at him. I paced closer and forced myself into the friendly mode I was forced to take on around him.

"Caroline, finally you're back." Marcel slurred; it became apparent that he'd had way _way_ too much to drink; and it took a hell of a lot to get a vampire drunk.

"Yes, I was out; and it's not even that late." I replied. I had a quick look and discovered I was wrong; time really had passed during my chat with Klaus, it was nearly half eleven.

"You weren't at Karaoke night to support me tonight; people were asking questions about you." Marcel said, an evil glint forming in his eyes. A chill ran through me, I knew that look too well...

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry Marcel; I completely forgot, I bet you were great though!" I exclaimed, mustering as much enthusiasm as possible and plastering a smile onto my face.

It seemed that Marcel was not convinced by my response, he stood up shakily and paced towards me; I backed up rapidly and he kept following until my back hit the kitchen wall.

"_Why _weren't you there Care? You are always there for me, _always."_ Marcel continued, leaning even closer to me, his proximity becoming very uncomfortable. I began to speak but he cut me off.

"You're killing me Caroline." He whispered harshly into my ear.

"I.. I D-don't know what you're talking about Marcel." I replied quietly, trying to turn my face away from him and break the eye contact.

"OH REALLY? YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL ME THAT YOU DON'T KNOW I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU? BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS DAMN PLACE SEEMS TO KNOW!" Marcel roared before smashing his beer bottle hard against the wall, causing beer and broken glass to land all over me.

"I love you, but yet you feel nothing for me - you don't even _try._" Marcel spat nastily, before forcing his lips roughly on mine. I attempted to squirm away but his arms held me tightly down.

"Get off!" I shouted trying to push him and his lips away from me.

"Why Caroline? Why can't you just try to enjoy yourself?!" He shouted, before pulling away from me. I shuddered as his fangs protruded from his mouth.

"NO Marcel, please no!" I screamed as I felt his fangs pierce the skin at my neck, and the blood spill from the wound. I felt the pain rush through me, it felt as if my whole body was on fire, as if a thousand stakes were piercing my skin. I felt the tears run down my face, there was nothing more painful in the world than having blood taken unwillingly. The pain was practically blinding me; in his euphoria Marcel had weakened his hold on my arms, I reached out and grabbed a knife from my kitchen counter and I plunged it mercilessly into his heart. Marcel stumbled away from me, and pulled the knife from his chest; it clattered to the floor.

He looked up at me in shock and the crazy haze had left his eyes. It seems my blood had sobered him up; he stumbled back even more in shock and stared at me cowering in the corner of the kitchen.

"Ohmygod Care; I'm so _so_ sorry. I can't believe I did this. I'm so sorry. I was drunk, so _so _drunk; you know I'd never do anything like this to you if I were sober. You have to forgive me; you are the most precious thing in my life- I don't know what I would do without you!" Marcel explained in shock.

"GET OUT!" I screamed from where I sat on the floor against the wall.

"Please Caroline, forgive me; I'll make it up to you." Marcel begged.

"Maybe I'll be able to forgive you tomorrow Marcel; but you need to get the hell out of my apartment; because right now I can't even look at you." I said more softly, pain still contorting my features; I could practically still feel his fangs upon my skin.

Marcel nodded slowly and made his way towards the door. I felt a wave of relief flow through me as I heard the door slam shut behind me.

I couldn't help myself, I curled up into a ball where I was and began, once more, to cry. I was so angry; how _dare _he do that to me. He blackmailed my friendship by kidnapping my best friend, and now he just assumed that he and I should be together; that just because he had feelings for me that he should be able to do whatever he wished.

NO.

I couldn't focus; I couldn't even move. I had no friends here, no one to call; everyone I rang would help me, but then go running back to Marcel to report everything.

Well... I guess I did have one person I could call.

Klaus.

I gently pulled my phone from my pocket and pulled up his number and clicked dial, before slowly bringing it to my ear. I suddenly realized how exhausted I felt; obviously from blood loss.

"Alright love." Klaus answered on the first ring.

"Can you come over, I need help." I said simply; attempting to pack all my emotions into one sentence, it seems that I got my message across.

"I'll be right there." Klaus replied rapidly before hanging up. I relaxed against the wall and closed my eyes.

**Klaus's POV**

I knew there was something wrong with Caroline the moment that she spoke; I could tell from the uneven tone of her voice, almost as if she were holding back tears. I finished up my meeting with Sophie Deveraux as quickly as possible and quite literally ran over to Caroline's. I knocked on the door a couple of times but was met with no answer, I pushed the door forcefully and broke it from the hinge; I ran into her now wreck of a kitchen and found Caroline sitting on the kitchen floor, fast asleep and covered in blood.

"Bloody hell." I exclaimed exhaling loudly. I knelt down on the floor beside Caroline and I saw the two puncture wounds on the side of her neck; she'd been bitten… A rush of anger ran through me as I imagined the scene that had played out in this kitchen; how dare someone take blood from her without her permission, actually how dare they take blood from her anyway – I felt jealously rise up within me, but I pushed it down as now was not the time for that.

"Caroline?" I asked gently, placing my hand on the side of her face. Her eyes opened slowly and I could tell she was exhausted; whoever had taken her blood had taken way too much than was healthy for her.

"Oh love, you need to sleep. Let's get you to bed." I replied, before picking her up, placing one arm behind her back and one behind her knees so she was cradled in my arms. I walked back to her hallway and pushed open the door; I walked slowly towards her bed, pulled back the covers and eased her down gently before removing her shoes and covering her with the sheet. She curled into her covers and closed her eyes.

"Don't fall asleep just yet sweetheart, I'll get you some blood." I paced quickly back to her kitchen and opened her fridge. Inside at the bottom of the refrigerator were bags of blood, I smirked as I saw how she had taped a straw to the side of each one. I laughed as I pulled it off and pierced the bag. I took it back to her and knelt at the side of the bed and held the blood bag as she took small sips from it; I saw as the color began to return to her cheeks. After the fourth bag she looked a lot healthier.

"Oh no; I need to pack up my things for moving." She muttered quietly as she attempted to get out of bed.

"No, you just rest love; I'll pack everything up for you." I said reassuringly, Caroline nodded and said a quick thank you, and rapidly fell into sleep.

I made my way around her apartment packing the things she would need into boxes; as she wasn't leaving her apartment for good there wasn't that many things to pack up. Just things she would require for an extended stay – Once I'd made the bargain with Marcel she could move back home, or move out of this whole town if she needed.

**Caroline's POV**

I awoke feeling so much better; but the events of the night still loomed over me. I sat up in bed and pulled off the covers, I grabbed some slippers and padded into the living room where I found Klaus lying on the couch, reading the newspaper. I saw the boxes he had packed stacked all around the room; whoa… he really had been busy.

"Hi." I muttered shyly, and he looked up at me.

"You feeling better love?" he asked anxiously, as he stood from the couch and walked over to me. He raised his hand and I could feel his fingertips tracing over the scar at my neck and the pattern of dry blood. Goosebumps rose on my skin at his touch and I felt a small shiver run over me; oh god… I really hope he couldn't feel that.

"I should get cleaned up." I stated, breaking the silence between us.

"Yes love; that's probably a good idea, but be warned after your shower I want to know who the hell did this to you." Klaus said with a dangerous edge to his voice. It was in that moment that I realized that he would do anything and everything in his power to protect me; despite the fact we hadn't known one another long.

"Okay." I nodded; knowing that I would have to tell him at some point. I made my way towards the bathroom, stripped off my clothes and stepped into the shower. I scrubbed any trace of blood from my body, and felt myself relax; I knew now that I could forget this, I felt clean and ready to move on. I turned off the water and pulled open the shower curtain and searched for my towel.

Damn.

It was gone.

Klaus must have packed it up in the boxes of things to go to his place.

Great – now what was I going to do. I didn't want to put my dirty clothes back onto my wet body; and there was no way in hell I was going to make the dash to my room naked!

"Umm… Klaus!" I shouted, my voice echoing; I was thankful I'd left the bathroom door unlocked.

"Yes love?" He shouted in reply.

"Can you grab me a towel please?" I asked; and before I knew it I could feel his presence on the other side of the shower curtain. He handed me the towel through the gap and the side of his hand brushed my side. I jumped back; it felt as if he had scolded me with his touch – no… there was no way in hell I was going to develop a crush on this guy.

"Oops sorry." He replied, he must have sensed me jump away; and I had to admit he didn't sound sorry at all – smug seemed more like the correct emotion.

"Thanks." I said simply, before wrapping myself in the towel and stepping out. Klaus was still here.

"I left you some clothes on your bed; I forgot that you would need to change and I packed up all your clothes for you. I hope the outfit I chose is alright for you." He said, and I was pretty sure he was embarrassed.

"Thanks." I replied again lamely, before making my way towards my room and shutting the door firmly behind me. I leant back against the door and let out a sigh. – Seriously, what was going on?!

I assessed the clothes he had laid out; he'd picked perfectly, he'd gone for comfort clothes just like I would have. There were some sweatpants, a baggy t-shirt and a hoodie. I smiled as I pulled on the clothes and saw he'd even left out a hair tie for me; I shoved my hair into a bun before picking up my dirty clothes and chucking them into the bin. – I then made my way out to see Klaus.

We went and sat down in the living room. There were several minutes of silence before he spoke.

"So love; I would like to know everything." Klaus said honestly.

"I came home, Marcel was in my kitchen, drunk and he told me he loved me. I tried to push him away and he bit me." I replied, I saw Klaus's face redden and his hands turn white as he fisted them tightly.

"I. Will. Kill. Him." Klaus spat out in fury.

"No Klaus; that would ruin everything. We continue with the plan and then we get what we want." I replied stubbornly, before pacing over to him and placing my hands on each side of his face, attempting to calm him down.

"He won't get away with this!" Klaus continued.

"No Klaus he won't; now with the events of tonight there is no way either of us are going to be able to get any sleep tonight. – So how about we move my stuff into yours now? It means we can get on with our plan sooner." I said, attempting to distract him.

"If you want love; I didn't bring my car with me – is that going to be a problem?" Klaus inquired.

"Nah, I've got my own car; let's pack up the boxes in there and get going."

Suddenly the prospect of moving in with Klaus didn't seem so worrying; actually I had to admit I was kind of looking forward to it…

**Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter.  
Thanks for the lovely reviews on the previous chapter.  
Please continue to read, review and follow!  
:D**


	7. Marcel's suprise

**Caroline's POV**

Klaus and I slumped back onto his couch after finally moving the remainder of my boxes into his apartment; despite that fact we are vampires we were still breathing heavily at the effort – it seems Klaus had packed up more boxes for me than he had realized.

For a moment or two we sat in silence thinking quietly; and it was after a few moments I realized how close to one another we sat, my hand resting slightly on his, our shoulders touching. I had to admit it was comfortable and inviting, words I never expected to use when describing Klaus Mikaelson.

"So love, I do have a guest bedroom but it's currently doubling as my art studio, so I'll sleep on the couch and you can take my room." Klaus said reasonably, before standing from the couch and offering a hand to help me up.

"Don't be an idiot! This is your apartment and you can sleep in your bed. Anyway after what happened tonight it is highly likely that Marcel may come over and if he sees you sleeping on the couch then our whole plan is blown; he'll never believe the whole 'we're together' theory if we're not sharing a bed." I exclaimed in response, despite the fact my words were very reasonable I still cringed as I realized what I was effectively saying was: Let's get in bed together.

"As you wish love." He replied with a smug grin on his face; it seemed the outcome had been desirable for him. I shook my head but couldn't help the laugh that escaped me as I took in his suggestive expression.

"Nothing is going to happen Klaus, if you so much as touch me I'll hurt you!" I said well humoredly.

"Yes, yes sweetheart, I promise to be the perfect gentleman – Now why don't we go and set some of your things up?" He asked the grin still never moving from his face.

We then spent another hour or so unpacking the many boxes. Klaus had cleared out multiple draws for me and given me half the wardrobe space. I managed to fit my things in at a squeeze; seriously how many shirts and jeans did a man need?

We made the final touches by adding my girly towels in the bathroom, my toothbrush and adding some of my family photos around the apartment; by the time we had finished it was already beginning to feel like home.

"It looks pretty believable, don't you think love?" Klaus asked as he admired our work.

"We did good!" I exclaimed, a smile rising on my features – I could already see how this would play out in my mind. I'd rejected Marcel and moved in with Klaus, and Marcel was 'Madly in love with me' as Klaus put it – I'm sure Marcel will make the bargain with Klaus pretty soon and then we'll have Stefan back and we can get the hell out of this creepy little town. I wasn't sure whether Klaus intended to stick around; I knew he had some little fantasy about becoming the new 'King of New Orleans' but I really couldn't see it happening, Marcel had way too many allies, he couldn't kill him and then expect to be the next ruler of New Orleans; but I knew he'd try anyway he was that kind of person.

I walked through to the bathroom and pulled on my pajamas before stashing my old clothes in a laundry basket I had brought with me, after-all there was no way in hell I was going to share a washing basket with the all-powerful original Klaus, that was just _too_ weird…

When I was changed I walked back to the kitchen to find Klaus, who had made me a cup of tea and set it down on the side where he was waiting; I sat on the chair next to him where we both sipped our drinks in silence.

"It's 4am in the morning love; I don't know about you, but I'm knackered. I think we should get some sleep and sort everything else out in the morning." Klaus spoke quietly, I'd forgotten that I'd had an opportunity to sleep earlier whilst he had sorted my things out for me, but he hadn't slept all night – he must be exhausted.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." I replied, nodding in response and drained the rest of the contents of my mug. Niklaus stood up and made his way towards his room; I followed, a sudden anxious feeling coming over me.

I was about to share a bed with the most powerful being on the planet.

"Don't be shy, come in sweetheart – I sleep on the left, I hope the right side will be alright with you?" Klaus mumbled as he pulled of his shirt. I just nodded in response, too distracted by his amazing body to manage to co-ordinate a response. I walked around the bed and got in slowly, before averting my eyes whilst Klaus stripped down to his boxers and got in beside me.

I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling whilst admiring how comfortable his bed was; man… I don't think I'd ever slept on anything this amazing before.

"Mmmm…" I mumbled as I rolled onto my side to face Klaus.

"I see you approve to my bed then love?" Niklaus teased with a sleepy grin.

"Hell yes!" I muttered as I closed my eyes and snuggled deeper into the covers.

**Klaus's POV**

I was jerked awake by the sudden ringing of my phone; I took in the scene around me and was shocked to discover that Caroline and I were 'spooning'; well I believed that was what the kids were calling it these days anyway. I reached towards my dresser to grab my phone and instantly regretted the loss of contact between myself and Caroline.

I stared down at my phone and read the caller ID

"Bloody hell…" I breathed out as I saw it read 'Marcel'. I gulped loudly and sat up in bed before pressing green and bringing the phone to my ear.

"Marcel, mate… what's up?" I asked in the friendliest tone possible.

"I'm just coming up in the elevator to your apartment; I need to talk to you." Marcel said seriously; my heart skipped a beat as I stared at Caroline's sleeping figure beside me, I didn't realize we would have to start the pretense so soon. It seemed however that Marcel was going to be here any moment, and it was time for Caroline and me to pull of this act of whirlwind romance.

"Sure, I'm still in bed; let yourself in and I'll throw some clothes on." I said simply, before hanging up. I raked a hand through my hair as my whole body tensed in anticipation; I, Niklaus Mikaelson, was never scared. However on this occasion, Stefan's life and potentially Caroline's life were on the line – if only I could just kill Marcel. Bloody hell, he had turned out to be the worst protégée possible.

I quickly shook Caroline awake beside me, I saw a flash of annoyance and confusion in her eyes as they flew open and she rapidly came to her senses.

"What's wrong?" She asked quickly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as I pulled on some jeans.

"Marcel's on his way up; it seems our act is starting now." I said seriously.

Panic crossed Caroline's features before she quickly rose from the bed and began messing up the sheets, before pulling of her pajamas until she was left standing in her underwear. She then grabbed a lipstick from the dresser and smothered it on her lips before making her way over to me.

"Love, not that I'm not enjoying the show or anything – but what the bloody hell are you doing? Now is really not the time for you to realize how sexy I am?!" I exclaimed with a confused laugh.

"Shut up; I'm just following our plan, we want to make Marcel jealous right?" She replied seriously. Before pressing kisses a line of kisses along my chest, collar bone and neck; I felt a jolt of attraction spark between us and I tried to ignore my instinct as she began to kiss all the skin she had in sight. She tangled her hands in my hair quickly messing it up. She then stepped back and admired her work; I was still thoroughly confused.

"Don't look so confused Niklaus; go and take a look in the mirror." She exclaimed as she climbed back into bed.

I stared at my reflection and saw the many pink outlines of her lips across my body, and the serious sex-hair I now had.

"See, it looks like we just had the best sex in the world – there is no way in hell Marcel won't be jealous" Caroline said with a smile of pride on her face.

"You sweetheart, are a bloody genius" I exclaimed, but placed a quick finger to my lips as I heard a knock on the door; Caroline understood and feigned to be asleep.

I paced through the hall and to the door which I promptly pulled open and tried to pull an expression of embarrassment onto my face. Marcel stepped in and a huge grin rose on his features as he took in my state of dress.

"Woah, Niklaus Mikaelson; someone's had an eventful night…" Marcel exclaimed as he let out a roar of laughter.

"Shhh…Marcel this really isn't a good time." I muttered as I closed the door and led him through the hall.

"You rogue! She's still here isn't she… come on let me have a quick peek at the lucky lady!" Marcel responded enthusiastically.

"No Marcel, don't… really…" I replied halfheartedly, attempting to keep up the act. He ignored what I said just as I knew he would and went striding towards my bedroom, throwing open the door.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the sight before him, I walked in beside him and Caroline jerked awake from her fake slumber.

" . ." Marcel bellowed, staring at Caroline and I.

"Ohmygod, Marcel what are you doing here!" Caroline shouted, pulling off the act perfectly as she pulled up the sheet to cover herself.

"I'm pretty sure the question should be what the hell you are doing here!" Marcel spat out in a venomous tone; I could tell by his face that he was hurt. I knew it was my turn to step in.

"Well…Marcel, Caroline and I have moved in together." I said slowly, taking in his shocked expression and trying to hide the pure joy I was feeling from seeing him fazed.

"But you've only just met one another!" He exclaimed.

"I know Marcel, but there's something here and we just want to pursue it." I said in a sickeningly sweet tone as I paced over to the bed and sat on it, Caroline sat beside me and I placed my arms around her as she planted a small chaste kiss to my lips. Bloody hell; this girl really was some kind of angel.

"I'm leaving, I hope to see you at the bar tonight." Marcel responded, averting his eyes rapidly from our displays of affection and striding angrily from the room. We heard the front door slam and both Caroline and I exhaled in relief. We stared out of the window and didn't speak until his car left the parking lot.

"OHMYGOD! HE FELL FOR IT, HE WAS TOTALLY PISSED!" Caroline shouted in joy, pulling me into a huge hug and rocking both of us side to side, until we eventually toppled over. Both of us couldn't prevent our laughing and it took a while until we realized what situation we know found ourselves in, Caroline was draped along my chest and we were still both laughing heavily. A blush rose in her cheeks as she noticed our position, and she rolled off and laid beside me a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Well I'm going to take a shower love, I can't wait to get to town and flaunt our relationship in front of Marcels many minions." I said with a smirk.

"I look forward to it! But I think you mean our fake relationship!" She retorted, and I was sure I could feel her eyes following me as I made my way to the bathroom…

**Hello!  
So first I wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone that reviewed! – And also I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while, but the weather has just been way too good to sit inside on my laptop!  
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and it would be great if you could leave a review!**


	8. The beginning of a revolution

**Caroline's POV**

"KLAUS! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT THE TOILET SEAT!?" I shouted in annoyance from the bathroom as I took in the sight before me; seriously he was driving me crazy. He was like any other typical man but about a hundred times more annoying. I'd told him multiple times that toilet seats are for sitting on, therefore they shouldn't be left up; yet he did every single time he went to the bathroom.

"I can't remember ever discussing the toilet, love." he shouted back calmly, but I could detect the smug undertone in his voice.

"YES YOU CAN!" I responded, too bored of this tedious debate to continue, I put the toilet seat and lid down before sitting down on it and staring around the bathroom. We'd been living with one another for a week so far, just one week and already we found that it was practically impossible for us to live with one another. The bathroom, I had to admit was dominated by my things, but the living room was filled with his books, paintings and sketches dotted around the place. Now there were two of us living here the apartment looked like a complete and utter dump; we spent our time outdoing one another and trying to get the upper hand - much like Klaus's toilet seat trick which he just _loved_ to pull on me.

Furthermore we both had different routines, like when we had breakfast, lunch and dinner; this generally meant that one of us was left eating cold left-overs from the other as we didn't eat at the same time. We didn't see one another much in the day unless we were going out and displaying our affections in public to try and rile up Marcel, but in the evenings there was practically no escaping each other; I mean it wasn't awkward we had plenty to talk about and Klaus often went to his art studio, but there definitely was a weird connection between the two of us. Klaus had moved his sofa bed into the master bedroom and I was sleeping in his bed; I had to admit I felt pretty bad about it but he did offer after-all. I just hoped that Marcel would reach cracking point soon and Klaus and I could go our separate ways. There was some kind of attraction between us which made living together even worse.

I finished up in the bathroom and straightened out my appearance, before making my way into the living room where Klaus sat reading the paper at the table.

"You look nice sweetheart." Klaus commented as he peered over the top of the paper and appreciated how I looked in my simple red skater skirt and white vest top.

"Um... thanks." I replied awkwardly, his honesty always catching me off guard.

"So what are we doing today?" Klaus inquired suddenly.

"What do you mean what are we doing today?" I asked confused as I pictured the lazy day I had planned unfold in my mind.

"I mean, what are you and I doing today; we haven't been seen out in ages and we need to keep up the act and finally get Marcel to crack." Klaus said reasonably, before putting down the paper and taking his breakfast dishes and placing them in the sink.

"Well... I guess we could go to the funfair they are holding in town today?" I asked, looking at him for approval.

"Sounds good to me... perfect couple opportunity - we'll have to kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel...obviously..." Klaus smiled and added a wink.

"Yeah, yeah…" I replied, trying to sound exasperated; however, I couldn't control the funny feeling I felt as he spoke. I was turning into such a girl; swooning at every word he said – seriously, if I had to keep this pretense up much longer I don't know what would happen.

**Marcel's POV**

I knew I'd been wrong when I'd tried to persuade Caroline that we should be together the other night; but in my defense I had been very _very_ drunk. However, I'd still somehow known what I was doing and I went right ahead and bit her anyway – I don't think our friendship could be repaired. I know that I blackmailed her friendship in the first place; but now I wasn't quite sure what I would do without Caroline Forbes, she really was an angel.

I'd thought that now Klaus and I were back on good terms I could have turned to him for advice; but it seems that him and Caroline had got together pretty fast. It made my blood quite physically boil when I remember how I'd gone into Klaus's apartment and found Caroline in his bed, that quite literally had to be the most embarrassing and infuriating moment of my life.

I knew what I had to do.

I had to steal Caroline right back from Niklaus; after-all I saw her first…

**Klaus's POV**

Caroline and I arrived at the funfair, hand in hand; we left the car and walked the long way round making sure that as many people could see us as possible.

"Bloody hell; you'd think we were on some reality show." I muttered into Caroline's ear as we walked past a group of staring vampires; everyone in this town knew that Marcel wanted Caroline and here we were flaunting our relationship, they knew we were flirting in dangerous territory.

Caroline let out a small giggle and wrapped my arm around her waist, from an onlooker it looked like we were having some kind of flirty conversation rather than a normal discussion.

"By the way Klaus; I swear to god if you dare leave the toilet seat up again I _will_ kill you. It would save Marcel a whole lot of trouble!" Caroline exclaimed cheekily as she teasingly punched me on the chest. I grabbed her fist and pulled her into me and we were left staggering around without a care in the world.

"Caroline, Niklaus; so nice to see you here today." Marcel said loudly, and we were snapped from our current thoughts.

"Same to you Marcel." Caroline replied smiling; I gritted my teeth and tried to resist the urge to kill Marcel right then and there for treating Caroline like shit and then forcing her to put on some kind of pretense with him. It was sick.

I just nodded slightly in Marcel's direction; not trusting myself with words.

"So Caroline; I was wondering – would you like to ride the Ferris wheel with me? You and I have so much to discuss." Marcel said politely to Caroline as he stretched out his hand to her. I saw the split second of indecision on Caroline's face as she took in the crowd of vampires that had arrived to witness this; I saw her facial expression change to one of defeat as she realized she couldn't reject Marcel here in front of all his followers; after-all Marcel wouldn't take it out on her, he might take it out on Stefan though.

"Sure, I'd love to. One sec." Caroline replied, before turning back to me. The confusion on my face must have been evident; why was she walking back towards me? Caroline must have realized my confusion as she winked at me before raising an eyebrow and mouthing: 'Just go with it'. When she finally reached me she placed one hand softly on the side of my face and one on my shoulder, before pulling herself up onto her tiptoes and pressing her lips against mine; I was so shocked it took me a moment to respond, but I finally realized what was happening and I deepened the kiss; however she promptly broke away. She then pressed another kiss to the side of my temple before speaking very loudly so everyone around us could hear.

"See you later babe; I love you." She said casually as she tossed her hair over her shoulders and paced away. The intake of breath around us was huge as I took in everyone's response; and the look on Marcels face was just priceless, he'd turned an unhealthy shade of purple and his fangs had protruded from his gums. He really was jealous; and I knew my protégée too well, I knew that right now he just wanted to pace over and rip my heart out.

"You too sweetheart; don't be too long." I muttered out; even though this was just all role play I found it exceedingly hard to respond, the words got stuck in my throat. I could never utter the words 'I love you'; the last time I had done that it was to a very beautiful girl called Tatia who broke my heart; my brothers too.

I was worried my non-committal response had ruined the façade we had created; I looked up once more at Marcel before he and Caroline turned to leave – he knew, I could tell by the look on his face that he was pleased.

**Marcel's POV**

Niklaus's response to Caroline's declaration had not been convincing; something within me was telling me that there was something wrong. I could tell by the expression on Caroline's face that she really did feel for my sire Klaus; however he was guarded and tense. He didn't say I love you back, he was non-committal.

I knew that already there was trouble in paradise with the two of them; or maybe there had been trouble right from the start. They didn't even know each other; not like how Caroline and I knew one another. I'm pretty sure we knew every last detail about one another and that was because we are meant to be.

Now I knew Klaus wouldn't be a problem, all I had to do was prove to Caroline that he didn't really love her. She'd come running to me in no time; especially since I had her precious friend Stefan.

I owned her.

**Caroline's POV**

Since Marcel was Marcel, and owned this town, we got to skip the cue for the ride. We were squished into the small little seat in no time and suspended high above the town; we were positioned so tightly together it was quite uncomfortable.

"Marcel; just because we're squished onto this tiny little seat, does not give you any excuse to keep touching my butt." I said venomously, deciding the time for playing nice with him was over.

And that was when the ride chose to break down.

"So tell me Marcel; who did you compel to get this ride to stop?" I said sarcastically.

"I have many _many _friends Caroline; and just so you know it's in your best interest to remain one of them. We all know what happens to those who don't. "Marcel responded seriously.

"Are you really threatening me?!" I exclaimed; the cheek of this vampire was unbelievable.

"Listen Caroline; I told you before and I still mean it. I didn't mean for the incident the other day to happen, I was so drunk and I care for you and I would never, ever deliberately hurt you. You are one of the main priorities in my life; when I see you my day gets about a hundred times better. I can't live with you hating me Caroline I don't know how I'll survive; and I can't live seeing you with Klaus either, you need to break up with him." Marcel said sincerely.

"Marcel you can only force me to do so many things. You've already taken my best friend and blackmailed me with his capture and now you're telling me who I can and can't date. For someone who claims to have my best interests at heart, it really doesn't seem like it." I responded honestly.

"I'll make breaking up with Klaus worth your while, I promise." Marcel muttered.

"Oh yeah – and how would you make it worth my while?" I inquired curiously.

"I'll release Stefan." Marcel said bluntly.

I couldn't help the gasp that escaped me and the urge to jump up and down and scream.

"Really? You'll really release Stefan if I just break up with Klaus?!" I exclaimed; shocked by how right Klaus had been about the power I held over Marcel.

"Yes and no." He replied.

"What do you mean yes and no?" I continued warily.

"You have to try to be in a relationship with me."

I let out a sigh and cupped my head in my hands, debating Marcel's ultimatum. I hated the man, but I'd got along for many years pretending to be his best friend, and if pretending to be his girlfriend was what was required of me to get Stefan back then I would do it.

"Okay."

"I knew you'd see sense eventually Caroline. I'm going to prove to you that you can love me just as I love you." He exclaimed as he grasped my hands within his.

"I'm not so sure about that Marcel, but you never know. I'll break up with Niklaus tonight; do you have any rules or conditions I need to know about?" I inquired, wanting to be completely in the know, and not have anything come to bite me in the butt later.

"Hmmm… Now that you mention it I guess there are a few. See; that's why I like you Caroline, you're such a smart woman." Marcel stated enthusiastically; I just nodded in response.

"Well, I guess the first rule is you are to have no more communication with Niklaus unless I am present and you will do your best to do everything that I say. As for Stefan, I will release him after our first date and once we have moved in together. But listen very carefully Caroline; if you don't try hard enough to make this relationship work, or if you just break up with me the moment Stefan is free, I will kill him." Marcel stated darkly, I gulped loudly as I processed his words. I didn't realize I would have to move in with him; that part really threw me off, but then again he's a pretty possessive guy and I imagine he'll want to know what I'm doing 24/7. As for the Stefan part I was pretty sure he was going to say something like that; I wasn't stupid, I knew I couldn't just break up with Marcel as soon as Stefan was free – unfortunately I was in this for the long run. Marcel's jealous side really was showing thanks to that part about me not being able to see Klaus, I felt some kind of pang of sadness in my stomach; I hadn't known Niklaus long, and we'd only been living together a week, but I knew I would miss him and the conversations that we had together. There was something between the two of us that I couldn't quite put my finger on, and I guess I'd never really find out what it was now; not with Marcel lurking between us the whole time.

"I agree to all of your conditions Marcel; I'll pack up my things and move into your apartment in the next few days." I said defeated. I never really thought it would come down to an ultimatum such as this; but who was I kidding we were vampire's that never aged; we drove hard bargains.

"Perfect." Was all that he responded; and conveniently just as he spoke the Ferris wheel started up once more. I saw the ground approaching and I couldn't wait to be away from Marcel and this stupid funfair. Oh well, at least I had the rest of tonight and tomorrow before I had to start this pretense with Marcel; and I was going to make the most of the time I had left.

The wheel came to a stop and Marcel and I got up from our seats; just as I turned to leave he grasped my hand within his and kissed my knuckles theatrically.

"I'll see you soon darling; I can't wait…" He said smugly before walking away and leaving me completely and utterly broken. I felt tears begin to form in my eyes and I strode to the exit as quickly as I could; there was no way in hell I was going to give Marcel's followers the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

My vision was blurred by the unshed tears and I was unsure where Klaus came from but he grabbed my arm tightly and pulled me into a hug.

"What's the matter love?" He asked the concern evident in his voice.

"I'll tell you everything but please can we just go home." I stuttered out, my voice shaking.

"Of course we can sweetheart; of course we can." Klaus said soothingly and surprisingly quite out of character for him.

He led me quickly to the car and drove back to his apartment, before unlocking the door rapidly and letting me in. He helped me into the lounge and I curled up on the sofa; finally letting the tears fall now that we were out of the public eye.

**Klaus's POV**

Caroline was shaking the whole way home; restraining herself from letting the tears flow in front of people who would be satisfied by her sadness. I led her quickly into the apartment and watched as she curled into the sofa and promptly burst into tears.

Usually in situations such as this I had no idea how to handle myself; but fortunately I knew that Caroline wanted to tell me everything.

"I've ruined my entire life, for the rest of my existence I'm going to be completely and utterly miserable, I've practically sold my soul to Marcel!" The words exploded from her shaking body and more tears flowed. I was unsure of what she was talking about, so I simply just nodded before retrieving a blanket from behind the sofa and tucking it around her and sitting beside her so I could pull he into my embrace.

"Tell me everything Caroline…" I muttered softly, knowing that she wanted to share her burden with someone.

"I made a bargain with him, in exchange for breaking up with you and trying to make a relationship work with him, he would release Stefan. But he said I have to live with him, and if I don't do what he says or break up with him the moment Stefan is free he'll kill him. I have no choice but to do everything that he says!" She continued to sob. She placed her arms tightly around me and leaned her head against my chest.

I tried to think of a response but none came to my head; it seemed that she really had signed her entire existence over to Marcel. The sneaky bastard really did know how to get what he wanted; however I guess the fact that I trained him contributed to his massively inflated ego – not that I would admit that to anyone.

I shifted our position so Caroline's head was in my lap and I stroked her forehead soothingly and wiped away her tears as she continued to cry. All I knew was that she needed to let it all out now; she'd feel better once she had resigned herself to what was happening. Sadly, that really was the only option.

"Klaus…I-I dreaded living with you and now I don't want to leave…" She muttered out sadly as her tears began to slow slightly.

"All things must come to an end love; and think on the bright side, you never know maybe Marcel doesn't leave the toilet seat up?" I said attempting to joke; I earned a small laugh and a halfhearted smile from her.

"I forgot to mention Klaus; Marcel said I could never speak to you or see you again unless he was with me." She said quietly as she looked up at me; suddenly I couldn't imagine living in my apartment without Caroline here, without her leaving her make-up sprawled all over the table and clothes over the backs of chairs. Not hearing her glorious singing in the shower or the little tune she hums when she cooks.

For the first time in my life I realized I was really going to miss someone.

"Don't worry love; we'll find a way to communicate with each other. Just imagine what life would be like without me annoying you – practically impossible I think!" I said sadly, once again trying to cheer her up; however my words only produced a fresh set of tears.

"I HATE HIM. I HATE HIM. I HATE HIM. I HATE HIM. I HATE HIM." Caroline screamed loudly, all her emotions being expressed in her words. Her shoulders sagged and her body went limp as she expelled the last of her anger from her body. I knew it was better she let her anger out now whilst we are alone, rather than with Marcel later.

Ugh, Marcel. His name felt like poison on my tongue.

"Let's get you to bed love; it's been a very long night, and you want to be refreshed ready for tomorrow. I'll make you a drink and I'll be in to see you in a minute." Caroline nodded in response and rose shakily from the sofa before making her way through to the bedroom.

I went to the kitchen and decided that hot chocolate was definitely needed on an occasion such as this; maybe I'd even spike it with some bourbon to help her sleep. I got out the mugs and began making the drinks.

**Caroline's POV**

I pulled on my pajamas and clambered into bed; I sat up and waited as I heard Klaus clanging around in the kitchen. Finally he came through the door with a mug in his hand and a peculiar expression on his face. He passed me the mug and sat beside me on the bed.

"What's the matter Klaus?" I asked, puzzled by his expression.

"I've been thinking about everything that has happened and I've decided that it's time we really fight back. You Caroline, are going to go with Marcel, Stefan will be freed and then I promise you I will kill Marcel."

"I'm going to make his death as long and as painful as possible, because bloody hell he definitely hasn't spared a thought for any of us in his lifetime." Klaus said seriously, his eyes alight with fury.

"Klaus, it's a great thought but you know as well as I do there is no way we can kill Marcel; he has way too many followers in here – this whole damn town is loyal to the bastard, they'd rip us apart before we could even get close to him." I said sadly, but with a smile on my lips; I knew that Klaus wanted to do this for me.

"Well then Caroline, we'll burn this whole place to the ground and take Marcel and his followers with it. They can't have any more power in this town; they've banished witches and caused an uprising, they've killed so many humans soon there won't be enough for vampire sustenance. This town used to be amazing and wonderful, a hub of pure excitement and activity; now it's just ruined and ghost of its former self. You and I Caroline are going to tear this place down and then together, piece by piece we'll build it back up and return it to its former glory. Marcel's time as king is over, this is a new era and we will make the changes that are needed in order for this place to survive." Klaus exclaimed his tone full of passion and sincerity. Excitement rose within me at the thought of us taking control of this town, making it everything that it used to be. All the wonders that Klaus had told me about. Klaus was right; we had to burn this place right to the ground, to the very roots of where it all began, it was time to tear away the poison and fear that hung over this place and restore it to its full potential.

"Okay." I whispered in response to Klaus; the idea so wonderful and so dangerous that I didn't dare speak too loudly, even though there was no one else around to hear.

"Sleep now Caroline; tomorrows a new day, with new plans…" Klaus muttered before placing a kiss on my temple.

I did as he said, I rolled over and thoughts of uprising and revolution plagued my mind; for the first time in a long while I had hope, and I was excited beyond belief. Nikaus, the Original Hybrid had brought this into my life and I knew now that it was meant to be.

"Klaus." I shouted to him in the living room.

"Yes love." He responded.

"Can you sleep in here please?" I said quietly; knowing that he would hear anyway thanks to the perks of vampire hearing.

Sure enough, minutes later he came padding through to the bedroom with his pillow, I pulled back the covers and he got in beside me. I subconsciously curled into him and together we dreamed of our revolution.

**Hello!  
So first of all I just wanted to say a massive apology for such a late update, I was on holiday and then I was ill so I just couldn't work up the enthusiasm to write.  
Also a big thank you to everyone who is still reading this despite my lousy updates!  
Thanks for all the lovely reviews, sorry if I haven't replied to some of them; I will do my best in the future!  
Please continue to read, follow and review – it's always lovely to hear what you think.  
Thanks!  
:D**


	9. Connections

**Hi!  
Just quickly before the chapter starts I wanted to answer a couple of reviews.  
In response to guest reader Saba I just wanted to say that the Marcel/Caroline fake relationship shouldn't last long, I'm moving along this story at quite a fast pace so probably only 1 or 2 chapters.  
Also, in response to a guest viewer on 7/21/13: I also only watch Klaroline for TVD now too, I'm sad Klaus won't be in it! Also, I'm pretty sure Caroline's singing won't come into this story, but you never know... **

**Thanks again to everyone who has been reading, reviewing and following! I hope you enjoy this chapter... **

**2 Months Later… **

**Caroline's POV**

"Can you grab my jacket from the closet babe?" Marcel's voice rang out as he rushed around the apartment throwing his things together. Once again we had both over slept and we were late for another town meeting. It really did show that Marcel had business to deal with in this town; now more than ever. Niklaus and his brother Elijah were causing a stir within the witch community; encouraging them to fight back. – six vampires already this week had been killed by the witches. I assumed it was in self-defense as they wouldn't lash out unnecessarily.

"Sure honey…" I replied, the sickening words making me feel ill. I swallowed my sarcastic retort and went about as he wished – Stefan was free and that was all that mattered. Living with Marcel for two months had been hell, and had certain obligations; but I found that if I just acted like I was so enamored by Marcel then life was a whole lot easier. I still had minimal contact with Klaus, we met up every now and then whenever was possible; but our time alone was limited, Marcel was always looming behind every corner. I didn't know what had happened to me, but all the time I was with Marcel I could do nothing other than think of Klaus and even if I caught a glance of him in the street, and he'd smile at me, suddenly the whole day would seem just a little bit brighter.

I passed it to him and he gave me a quick peck on the cheek before we both rushed rapidly out of the apartment; we were meeting at the bar as usual – and with the usual people; those who just love to scheme in New Orleans. I knew that tonight Klaus and Stefan would be there, but I would never have the opportunity to be alone with them. Niklaus had bought me a new phone and we text one another as often as we could, but it never quite lived up to the real thing.

When we reached the bar it was my turn to play the loyal and loving girlfriend; a role I was so sick of, I clung to Marcels arm, smiled and conversed with all his sickening friends and many minions. They all worshipped the ground that he walked on for some reason, they weren't living with him – he really wasn't that great.

I glanced over at Klaus and Stefan in the corner and threw them a quick smile, he gestured for me to look at my phone. I nodded discreetly and pulled it from my bag.

_Cemetery, 2am  
K x_

The small 'x' at the end brought a smile to my lips, it seemed I would once again have to sneak out – I imagined we were meeting the witches. They were beginning to grow anxious; they wanted to make the move on the vampires in this town now – this was in our best interest too, with the witches on our side we could take control.

"Evening everyone, thanks for coming out…" Marcels voice boomed across that bar as he addressed us all.

Everyone nodded civilly in his direction.

"We are here tonight because the witches have over stepped their boundaries and we need to do something about this! We were in control, we were fair to them, laid out the rules yet here they are killing more of us every day. So these are the new rules: If you see a witch doing something they shouldn't, you kill them right then and there – it's time for us to send a message, and this is the only way."

A big applause exploded from everyone in the bar, and I rolled my eyes at Marcel's theatrics. He portrayed the witches as the bad influences in this town; yet the only reason they had been killing vampires is because their lives had been threatened, and here he is once again giving his permission for his vampires to slaughter witches on sight. It made me so angry, it was obvious that he saw them as a threat, he knew they were powerful, and he was worried about what their magic could do to him and what he considered his town; it was pathetic- everyone could just live peacefully together in this town if he wasn't such an ass.

"How did I do babe?" Marcel asked cockily as he grabbed me around the waist and pressed a kiss to my lips.

"Ohmygod, you did so great!" I exclaimed, kissing him back, whilst still thinking of all the ways I could kill him.

"We should celebrate – drinks on me!" I continued; knowing the only way I could get out tonight undetected was if he was completely drunk.

"Aw, you really are the best girlfriend ever." He said with a leering smile, and I felt his arm roam further down towards my bum. I resisted the urge to slap his arm away and break it in two.

Marcel led me towards the bar and I threw a disgusted smile back at Klaus; he had been observing the exchange between the two of us and I could still see his furrowed brow and the look of distaste he still wore. I rolled my eyes at him, hoping to coax a smile from him; however it didn't work.

We sat down at the bar and ordered drinks, and rapidly people began flocking around us – it seemed everywhere we went Marcels followers were not far. Seriously, what did they see in him? He was not the most powerful being in this town, Niklaus was; shouldn't they be drawn to him instead? It just didn't make sense…

After about his sixth drink, Marcel was starting to loosen up nicely – I knew once he hit this point the drinks would continue flowing and my job would be practically done. We ordered another, and I tensed up as I saw Stefan and Klaus approaching.

"We'll have the same as whatever he's drinking." Stefan said to the bartender as they sat down beside us.

"Great speech tonight Marcel." Klaus said to him as politely as possible; I could see jealously written all over Klaus's face as Marcel pulled me closer to him to show Klaus that I was effectively his now.

"I'm glad you think so; Caroline helped me work on it for a long time, didn't you babe?" Marcel said, slurring his words slightly as he leant into kiss me again, I let him; but ended it fast. Klaus's expression darkened once more, and I knew that he just wanted to rip Marcel's heart out.

"Oh, well that was nice of you Caroline." He replied, barely hiding his anger.

"Yes, we can't believe what's going on with the witches; you would have thought they'd have learnt their lesson by now." Stefan continued, attempting to get on Marcel's good side.

"Well they'll learn soon enough." Marcel said laughing. I smirked at his insistence; little did he know the witches were going to take him down, and then I'd be the one laughing.

Klaus and Stefan nodded before leaving; a few drinks later I decided that Marcel was suitably drunk.

"Let's go home, we've been here ages." I asked Marcel suggestively.

"Sounds good." He responded, before getting up, dangerously close to falling over. I slung one of his arms over my shoulders before slowly walking towards the exit; we bid goodbye to everyone.

"I'M GETTING LAID TONIGHT EVERYONE!" Marcel shouted as we left, I heard a wave of smirks throughout the bar, and I shook my head in exasperation before giving Marcel a playful slap.

By time we got back to the apartment Marcel was basically asleep where he stood, this was lucky for me considering I really didn't want to have sex with him – I mean pretending to be in a relationship wasn't too bad, but it meant I had certain obligations; some which I really didn't enjoy.

I tugged Marcel into our room before pulling back the covers, dumping him on the bed, pulling off his shoes and pulling the covers up over him. He was asleep and snoring in a matter of seconds. I smiled satisfied; I really could be devious when the time called for it. I read my watch and saw that it read 1:40am, just enough time for me to get to the cemetery.

I rushed over to the mirror and adjusted my makeup and appearance. I always felt like I needed to look nice for Klaus; actually no, I always wanted to look nice for Klaus; unlike for Marcel when I was obligated to.

I left the apartment quietly, despite the fact I knew Marcel slept like the dead – quite ironic really considering how he's a vampire…

I ensured I walked in the shadows to the cemetery, making sure that no one saw me, practically everyone in this town was one of Marcel's spies and I didn't want them selling me out.

"Boo." I heard someone say behind me, right into my ear. It made me jump slightly and then I felt arms wrap tightly around my waist and sneak under my shirt.

"Hi love." Klaus said seductively as he turned me around and pressed his lips to mine, I kissed him back enthusiastically. – I guess I forget to mention that Niklaus and I are an item now; it seemed that plotting to take down a crazed vampire brought two people closer together; and he was as sexy as hell and British which totally helped his sex appeal…

"Hey." I responded, as I broke the kiss, slightly breathless despite the fact that vampires didn't actually need to breathe…

"Where's Stefan?" I inquired, staring around.

"Were you seriously thinking about Stefan whilst we were kissing?!" Klaus exclaimed, a mock hurt expression on his face.

"No." I replied embarrassed.

"You're a bad liar Caroline Forbes." He said laughing before placing another quick kiss on my cheek.

"Stefan is over the other side of the cemetery with Elijah and the witches; we should be getting over there, we've got lots of business to deal with tonight." He replied, all serious now – as he grabbed my hand and led me towards the others.

"Hello Miss Forbes, it's so nice to see you away from Marcel." Elijah said politely.

"Elijah, I told you it's completely fine to call me Caroline." I said with a laugh, but I'm pretty sure I blushed anyway – I may be with his brother, but this guy really could rock a suit…

"Hey Care…" Stefan said pulling me into a quick hug, before we turned to the witches.

"So, what were those updates you needed to tell us?" Klaus inquired.

"We've found a spell, it's pretty powerful. If it works successfully it should weaken all the vampires in New Orleans and reduce their bloodlust, it should also reduce the way in which they are drawn to the power Marcel holds – if they are no longer as interested in blood then they should no longer be so thankful towards Marcel. We have also come up with a spell that can be used on the stronger vampires in town; we're hoping they will rival Marcel for the power. Then, we'll weaken Marcel – this means he'll appear vulnerable to his many followers and they will lose interest. Then from then on it's easy; Klaus steps in and with a little bit of magic supplied by us he should be able to influence them to listen to him. – then we can safely kill Marcel without the threat of having his many minions after us." Sophie spoke and we all nodded, it was a pretty simple enough plan.

"Okay then; how are we carrying this out?" Klaus continued.

"Well, it will be Caroline's job to slip Marcel the serum to weaken him. Klaus you will just need to be a continuing influence in town; try and display power as often as possible – the vampires in this this town are so fickle they turn to whoever they think has the most power. Then it will be up to us witches to cast the spell on the vampires in the town." She explained.

"Great, when can we start?" Elijah asked, looking excited for once rather than his usual cool exterior.

"Well, there's just one problem…" Sophie trailed off, looking defeated.

"And this is what?" Klaus snapped; I could see his patience wearing thin – he was never really blessed with much patience.

"We need one very particular powerful witch to complete the spell." Another witch said, stepping forward.

"And who exactly would that be?" Klaus inquired obviously irritated.

"She lives in a small town not too far from here, she comes from a powerful line; her names Bonnie Bennett…" Sophie answered.

Stefan and I stared at one another in amazement. The smirk returned to Klaus's face as he realized this was no longer going to be a problem; luckily we had connections.

"Oh, don't you worry about that. It's not going to be too hard to get hold of Bonnie Bennett." I said with a laugh.

"Uh; have you not heard about her, she's like crazy powerful – she'll be too busy!" Another witch exclaimed.

"Too busy for her best friend?" I replied with a sarcastic smirk.

"Well, I guess it's about time for Stefan to go and say hi to everyone back in Mystic Falls now that he's free; and when he's done he can bring Bonnie back with him." Klaus said a smile on his face. – Everything was falling into place, it was perfect… almost too perfect.

"I'll leave tonight; I will be there by morning. We need to get this plan started as soon as possible; Marcel is really starting to piss me off." Stefan exclaimed, his usually brooding features becoming animated and irritated.

"Sounds good…" I replied nodding.

"Well, I guess it's about time I walk you home Caroline – we don't want Marcel waking up and realizing you're gone." Niklaus said with a pained expression; he hated it every time I had to go back to Marcel. Well, he just hated me being with Marcel anyway; but what do you expect – any guy would hate seeing his girlfriend all over another guy, despite the fact she's faking or not…

"Okay." I said with a huff of indignation; I was so sick of having to play the role of Marcel's girlfriend, he really was an ass.

Klaus and I bid our goodbyes before walking back to Marcels hand in hand; from a distant observer we could look just like any other couple, walking home after a night out. – Sadly our story wasn't quite that simple. About five minutes away from the apartment Klaus released his grip on my hand, before giving me a quick kiss.

"I'll see you soon love. Be careful." He said his breath hot on my face.

"You too…" I replied simply, struggling for words when he was so close. I turned and began to walk back.

I reached the apartment and let myself in quietly, before rapidly tugging off my clothes and putting on my pajama's before climbing into bed beside Marcel. He was snoring loudly and I rolled my eyes in annoyance, he was just as irritating when he was sleeping as when he was awake. I laid on my back staring at the ceiling, just thinking about when this would all be over.

That was when I heard my phone beginning to ring loudly; Marcel stirred beside me.

I reached out towards my dresser and grabbed the phone, it was switched off; yet somehow I still heard a phone ringing. That was when I realized it was the phone Klaus had given me that was ringing; shit, why was he ringing me at this time when he knew I was home with Marcel, it was risky…

"What's up babe?" Marcel said sleepily from beside me.

"Nothing, I just left my phone in the other room; go back to sleep." I said as I quickly stashed my phone under the covers out of sight. He just nodded before rolling over and going back to sleep.

"Idiot." I spat out at his sleeping figure, before climbing out of bed and running to the kitchen to get my other phone. I grabbed it from my bag and the display read 'Klaus calling'.

"Are you crazy?! Do you have any idea how close that was with Marcel just now?! Why are you ringing me when he's in?!" I whispered angrily down the phone.

"Caroline, please calm down – we have a problem." Klaus said simply, barely disguising his anger.

"What?" I inquired, his tone making me anxious.

"Well, when Stefan went to drive over the town border and leave New Orleans – he couldn't; he physically stopped himself without realizing. That means only one thing; Marcel compelled him so he couldn't leave New Orleans."

"Shit." I exclaimed, it seemed that Marcel hadn't kept his promise after-all, the sneaky bastard. I guess compelling Stefan had been his security encase I broke up with him.

"So Stefan can't leave, and we haven't got hold of Bonnie." Klaus said angrily.

"Don't worry; I'll make a call…" I said shaking my head in disgust at Marcels actions; I promptly hung up and quickly searched my contact list and found Bonnie Bennett.

It rang for a reasonably long time before anyone answered.

"Care, are you having a laugh – do you have any idea what time it is!?" Bonnie exclaimed on the other end.

"Bon, what's up?" I heard a male voice ask on the other end.

"Nothing shut up Kol…" Bonnie replied shushing the man.

"Bonnie Bennett is there a man in your bed!?" I asked with a laugh.

"Ugh, Caroline you are _so_ embarrassing! And yes… there is…" She replied sounding guilty.

"Anyway, what's up?" She inquired.

"Basically shit's hit the fan in New Orleans; you're a powerful witch and the witches here really need you." I said quickly.

"Does Klaus need me too?" She asked skeptically.

"Well, erm… yes." I said guiltily; I knew how she felt about him.

"Care, I know you weren't in Mystic Falls when everything went down with Klaus, but he's a bad guy – I really wish you'd believe me." She said exasperated.

"I know Bonnie, and I know you want the best for me; but I…well…I really think I'm in love with him." I said quickly; surprising myself, I'd never really thought about it before – I guess it was true; I really had fallen for him, every single side of him – even the bad one…

"Woah." She replied stunned.

"Anyway that aside… there is a really bad guy here who just happens to be Klaus's protégée, he's running the town, hundreds of vampires follow him, and he's treating the witches like his slaves. Someone needs to something about it, and we really need you…" I explained.

"Okay, I'll be there. I'll leave first thing in the morning." She replied simply.

"I love you Bon, you really are the best!" I exclaimed.

"I know. Now if you don't mind I'm going to go back to having sex now. See you soon Care…" She said with a laugh before hanging up.

I expelled the breath that I didn't realize I'd been holding, before putting my phone back into my bag and walking back into the bedroom. I got back into bed smiling; maybe everything was going to be alright, and if not, at least I'd get to see my best friend who I haven't seen in ages…


End file.
